Sound-post



W. E. LEIGHTON.

SOUND POST.

APPLICATION FILED mus. x920.

Patented July 5, 1921.

INVENTOR W/l/fam L eigfmm.

ATTORNEV8 WILLIAM ELDON LEIGHTON, WEST PEMBROKE, MAINE.

SOUND-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed May 5, 1920. Serial No. 379,041.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. LEIGHTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of West Pembroke, in the county of lVashington and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Sound-Post, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In connection with stringed instruments, and more particularly of the violin type, a sound post is necessary between the belly and back in order to connect these two portion of the instrument.

The back, being of denser wood, and thicker, vibrates with greater rapidity and is affected to a large extent by the action of the E and A strings. In this connection, it might be well to state that these strings would be practically valueless without the connection afforded by means of the sound p It has now been usual to interpose this member between the belly and back of an instrument of this type, at a point slightly below the bridge in order to get the necessary resiliency, and it has been demonstrated that with this arrangement, half of the lower part of the sounding board is pratically nonresponsive.

The vibration of the strings is communicated to the sounding board through the bridge, and it would hence be logical to place the post directly under the bridge, but this has been heretofore impossible, in view of the fact, as aforestated,that a certain amount of elasticity was necessary.

Having this in mind, I have constructed a sound post which may conveniently be disposed in the position indicated, but which is not necessarily limited to this adaption and by means of which the amplitude of the sound waves are given more carrying power together with a more resonant tone quality, and which post may conveniently be utilized in connection with any number of different types of stringed instruments.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section, of a conventional type of instrument, such as a violin.

Fig. 2 is a sectional end view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a sound post constructed in accordance with my invention.

In these views the reference numeral 5 indicates the belly of the instrument and 6 the back thereof, this instrument being in the usual manner provided with strings 7 and a bridge 8 interposed between the strings and the upper face of the belly 5.

A sound post, fully shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is interposed between the inner face of the belly and back, in the usual manner, with the exception that the same is positioned directly under the bridge 8.

The sound post conveniently includes a pair of fibrous strips of material 9, having their ends glued, or otherwise secured together, their center portion being bowed outwardly and away from one another, as has been indicated by the reference numeral 10, it being noted that the strands of the fiber extend longitudinally of the body portion of the strips.

By the construction afforded, a certain amount of resiliency is incorporated in the sound post. By this construction itwill not be necessary to rely upon the resiliency, which was at best an uncertain quantity, derived from mounting the conventional sound post at a point slightly in advance of the bridge 8. This resiliency incorporated in my improved type of sound post is to be attributed to the bowed portion 10 which provides an opening in the center of the post, and it will be appreciated that by this construction the sound post will transmit the vibrations to the soundingboard in a more desirable manner permitting a free vibration on the part of the sounding board as a whole.

Obviously my sounding post may be associated with any desired type of instrument, to which it is applicable, and various modifications of structure might be resorted to without departing from the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows z- 1. A sounding post, including a body portion formed with an unobstructed opening substantially intermediate its ends whereby said sounding post is rendered capable of a resilient action.

2. A soundin post, including two strips of fibrous material, the fiber of each of which extends longitudinally of the body portion thereof, secured together adjacent their ends, and having their body portions spaced one from the other, whereby said sounding post is rendered capable of a resilient action.

3. A sounding post, including two strips of fibrous material, the fiber of each of which extends longitudinally of the body portion thereof, said strips being secured together adjacent their ends, their center portions 10 bein bowed outwardl and awafrom one another whereby said sounding post is renl/VILLIAM ELDON LEIGHTON. 

